Henry foulkes



HENRY FOULKES, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 95,455, dated OctoberVV 5, 1869.

Haan- Q TOY TOP. Hrm

'The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY FoULKns, of Utica, Oneida county, New York, have invent-ed a new and useful Improvement in loy Tops for children.

The nature of my invention consists in giving motion to the top with the aid of adouble string, and the manner of detaching said stril'ig from the top when it is in motion; and

I do hereby declare that the' following is' a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, and of the operation of the saine, reference beinghad to the annexed dra-wing, making a. part of this specification, in which- Figures 1, 2, 3, representthe tepand its appendages Separately.

l Figurei, the top, with the parts in place as they stand when ready to he put in motion.

Figure 5, the top.detached from the ring, and leftspinniugon its point, on any smooth surfa'ce.

A is the top.

A' is the point.

A is the hook, which connects with the ring.

B is the double string.

B is the knot.

B" is the ring, which connects with the-hook.

C is the handle, used for untwisting the double string.

C and C are two holes tor the double string'.- (See tig. 4.)

ilfmmer of Operation.

Take the string, with the knot B, between the thumb and finger of the left hand, and hold it up; then-hook the top on the ring B. --Take the handle G in the right hand, and hold it up near the upper end'of the string. As soon as the string becomes twisted, as

seen in 4, slide the handle down to wit-hinabout two inches of the top, then slide it' up quickly, thus leave ing the top to twist the string by its nionlentuln. Hold the handle up until the top stops and begins to reverse its motion, then slide the handle down to within about two inches of the top, and then lower the left hand,` so as to let the top down on any smooth surface, and the ring B will ily from the centre of motion, and leave the top spinning on its point, as seen in |`fig. 5.4

'Figure 6 represents another way ofgiving motion to the top, and differs from the wayahcady explained, inasmuch as there is no handle to 'slide 011 the string; also the string is left separate at one end, and fastened toV two handles, D and D, which 'the f iperator holds, one in each hand, and moves them apart inthe diiec tion of the arrows E and E, until the string is untwisted to within about two inches of the top; then he brings them together, and'holds them so until the top begins to reverse its-n1otion; then he moves them apart as before, until the string is nearly al-l nntwi'sted; then yhe lowers his hands, so as to let the top down to spin on its point, as seen in fig. 5. I

Figure 7 represents'another mode of'attach'ing the. string to the top. 1n this case the upper part of the top is left prqiecting, with the pin F .li fastened into it, the ends ot' which pass through the loops (lr G of the double string. When the top is set down to spin on its point, the loops will ily from the centre of niotion, on the same principle as the ring does, and thus leaves the top spinning on its point, as seen in Figure S; that is, as soon as the weight ot'thc top is removed from either the ring or loops, the)1 are thrown from the cent-re by their ecntritugal force.

The top and handle may be made of either wood or metal, and a button with two holes in it may be substituted forJ the handle; the hook and ring of wire.

Any ordinary string will answer the purpose requireihj The advantages ot' this top are, its cheapness ot cost, uicety of working as u spixming-hall, when attached to the string, and as a common top, when detached from the string; its si Inpleness and durability.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A toy top, with a hook, i or pin l F, on its upper surface, also the ring B, or'the loops G G on the operating-string, said hook and ringl or loops and pin, to be so arranged that when the top is set whirling, and placed on the floor, said ring or loops will be thrown ott' by their centrifugal torce, and thus leave the top to revolve freely, the whole tobe constructed and operated substantially as described.

t l-illNl'Y FOULKES. fit-messes:

JOHN F. SEYMOUR,

leones M. Waarna; 

